Unfairly malilgned for costing the Giants the
1908 NL pennant for not touching 2nd base during a chaotic ending of the
Sept. 23 game at the Polo Grounds, the umpire ruling was technically correct
but was one that should never have been made. The umpires' loss of control
of the field should have superceded the technicality of Merkle retiring
to the clubhouse during the on field melee. Perhaps some sort of cosmic
forces have been at work ever since 1908, however, since the Cubs
have never won a World Series after that year.